U.S. Pat. No. 7,110,792 by Rosenberg issued Sep. 19, 2006 describes and contemplates enabling wireless personal information transfer with increased security. This invention contemplates a “smartlink module” in claim 1 and claim 24 which controls initialization of a smart card and enables transactions with specifically designated readers and confirms transactions through cellular telephone links. One of the embodiments on page 15 contemplates an RFID money exchange using the smartlink system. This Patent is very akin to BAC discussed herein. This Patent can be distinguished from the present invention as the present invention contemplates a solution to the security problem by limiting the scope of the shared medium. U.S. Pat. No. 6,970,070 by Juels, et al. issued Nov. 29, 2005 contemplates a singulation algorithm implemented by the reader which blocks identification within a privacy zone. This is explained in paragraph one and two of the Summary of the Invention section of the Patent. This Patent is in response to the need for security without the use of tag based cryptographic functionality or additional computational infrastructure external to the tag. The Background of the Invention section of this Patent describes prior art alternatives to security which are lacking in efficacy. These include: a.) Kill switch, b.) Faraday cage, c.) Active jamming, c.) Cryptography, d.) External agent re-encryption: all of which are incorporated into the prior art description of this invention by reference and are to be used as examples of failed prior art. This Patent can be distinguished from the present invention which contemplates a solution to the security problem by limiting the scope of the shared medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,152 by Osborn, et al. issued Jan. 16, 2007 describes a method of a protective container for a magnetic card, such as a credit card, which shields against damaging magnetic fields. Although it contemplates a stamped metal container of iron or nickel or a container which is stamped from mild steel and also contemplates injection molding and vacuum formed plastic inserts as described in the Abstract section, this Patent contemplates and is limited strictly to magnetic cards. This Patent can be distinguished from the present invention in that it contemplates only magnetically readable cards and not a system on a chip RFID system, as in the present invention, which limits and contains the scope of radiation of an RFID interrogation session which takes place in the 24 to 40 GHz range. Furthermore, the present invention does not contemplate magnetic cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,544 by Petsinger issued Sep. 19, 2000 contemplates an electromagnetic shield to prevent surreptitious access to contact less smartcards. This Patent contemplates an electromagnetic shield made of soft magnetic alloy with a very high initial and maximum magnetic permeability. The Patent describes a shield which has been fully hydrogen annealed to develop optimum magnetic shielding properties. The high intrinsic electrical conductivity of the magnetic shielding simulates a Faraday cage to further shield a contact less smartcard/RFID tag from electric fields. This is all described in the Abstract of the Patent. This Patent can be distinguished from the present invention in that it concerns itself exclusively with contact less smart cards. The present invention concerns itself with the entire group defined herein as chose in action. Furthermore, the Objects and Advantages section of the Patent at paragraph c and d contemplates a shield which totally or “partially” covers the contact less smart card. The present invention can be distinguished in that it contemplates a hermetically sealed container for the chose in action. In other words, a reader which completely covers a chose in action when it is being interrogated. Moreover, the present invention is a system for transferring critical data and information from an RFID tag or transponder to a back end control system so that all pertinent information is securely contained within a command and control center which administers state of the art cryptography thereby facilitating secure transmission. In furtherance, this Patent contemplates the use of high nickel content alloy metal known as Perm alloy or Mu-Metal as described and outlined in paragraph c of the Objects and Advantages section. This type of material is not contemplated by the present invention.
In an article titled “Security and Privacy Issues in E-passports” authored by Juels, Molnar and Wagner, and specifically at page 2, the following security and privacy threats are enumerated with comments: 1.) Clandestine scanning—basically skimming, as described herein, with the comment that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) the adjunct of the United Nations, as discussed herein, as enunciated in ICAO document 9303, does not require authentication of identity on E-Passports which results in unprotected skimming. 2.) Clandestine tracking—ISO 14443 stipulates emission without authentication of chip ID on protocol initiation which facilitates the physical tracking of the individual passport holder. 3.) Cloning—ICAO requires digital signatures on E-Passports however this does not bind the data to a particular passport or chip so that it offers no defense against passport cloning. 4.) Eavesdropping—Faraday cages are discussed but only as it applies to E-passport covers and not to a radiation confinement device as contemplated herein. 5.) Biometric data leakage —ICAO standard includes digitized headshots. These could be compromised on a chip. In the present invention, all biometric information is contained in the back end controlling computer system and not on the chip. 6.) Cryptographic weaknesses —ICAO contemplates a cryptographic key which functions to authenticate the identity of the holder and to encrypt all data transmitted between the passport and the reader. However, once a reader knows the key there is no mechanism for revoking access. Therefore, a passport holder traveling to a foreign country gives that country's Customs agents the ability to scan that particular passport in perpetuity.